my long-awaited palette arrived February 11, just in time for my sister's prom (and so i thought). i was so excited to bring it home to the province so i can use it for sam's makeup...

but there has been a not so minor problem:

yeah, the mirror is broken...full story here. i must admit, i was so frustrated that i wanted to cry. if i return it and have my money refunded, it would take me ages to get another one...if i just keep it as it is, well...the mirror's broken and it's bad luck. but bad luck or not, i paid for the palette and i deserve to get what i paid for.

good thing, the seller met up with me and replaced the damaged palette.

YEY!

oh, Alice...i thought i'd lose you!

purtyyy!

16 yummy colors

most of the shades are already present in Vol I and Vol II, but i don't care...not because i don't have vol 2 but because this is limited, baby! and i must have it!

(don't be like me...hahaha)

Underland - Alice - Oraculum - Queen

Chessur - White Rabbit - Wonderland - Curiouser

Muchness - Mushroom - Midnight Tea Party - Vorpal

Absolem - Drink Me, Eat Me - Mad Hatter - Jabberwocky

liners in Flipside and Zero

midget size of their famous UDPP

(cute!)

i wasn't able to use the palette for my sister's prom, but it's okay. at least i got it replaced, and since mom liked it very much she asked me to get her one too! yes, my mom is another proud owner of this Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette! she just loves how blendable the eyeshadows are and the colors...she adores the colors!

now, i am so relieved that i finally got what i paid for. i am loving my new palette, and now i want to get my own Vol II even more!

honestly, i was on the verge of getting mad with the seller and confronting her in a not-so-good manner. but i think i was too frustrated to even argue...good thing she offered to have it replaced the next day, and even threw a kabuki brush as a freebie! so ladies, if you get involved in a transaction like this one, try to come up with some sort of agreement first and talk it out with the seller. there's no issue that cannot be resolved when you talk about it and when both parties are calm and willing to compromise.

i tried some ELF brushes before, found them to be scratchy and not being able to distribute the pigments very well...in short, i didn't like them at all. there were some products that i did like..but their brushes, a big No.

until this:

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

i didn't know this brush even exists. i've been seeing a lot of posts about their Studio line makeup and brushes but never really checked into it. A friend sent me this brush on one of our swaps, and she did tell me that this is one good brush. I washed it immediately, but hesitated using it for quite sometime. Until one day, that i need a brush to buff my powder and the rest of my face brushes are still drying up. So i had no choice but to give this a chance.

and oh boy, i just wanted to hit myself with it big time...

it's perfect!

what i love:

gives that flawless, well-blended look

buffs in powder and liquid very well into a polished, natural look

soft, densely packed hairs

luxurious black color and design

long handle, easy to use

affordable price, $3

no shedding, no bleeding and no funky smell

fits just right in my hand

what i hate:

the hairs can be frizzy (buhaghag). geesh, i need to find a better word! LOL

other than that, this is the perfect flat top brush for me.

will i buy again?

i now have the entire Studio line brushes and other items on cart, tee-hee!

TIPS:

Always wash your brushes prior to use

Use a brush cleanser or a conditioning shampoo in cleaning your brushes. I use my Johnson's milk bath or MAC brush cleanser.

To prevent the brush hairs from being frizzy, use a brush guard (this i must have, soon)

Clean brushes regularly

do you have the other brushes from ELF? if you do, please suggest what i should get, before i check out the entire brush set. :)

too bad, the package doesn't include the serum...which i am loving right now!

serum

i've been using this repair line from Sunsilk for quite a while now and i am loving it to bits. since i've grown my hair long, i've been blowdrying it everyday and the heat (not to mention, my constant hair coloring) has finally taking its toll. i've been looking for a line that isn't too expensive and i saw this during one of my visits at Watsons...surprisingly, it really works! people have been commenting that my hair looks healthier now...yey!

so when i saw this free give away info somewhere (can't remember where, gah!) i didn't think twice and immediately sent the SMS. well, i was running out of supply and to get them for free definitely won't hurt :) i got a call days after and the package arrived the next day...sweet!again, just text 10DAYS to 2600 to get yours too. promo ends April 17, 2010

i've been sporting neutral looks lately, and i miss wearing my Happy Friday colors so much! And eversince i learned that green is the color of my birthstone, green has become my favorite color! hahahaha, yeah, i can be that corny.

i drove home to Bataan for my sister's prom...and guess who welcomed me:

my baby MAC who's celebrating his first birthday next month!

i was looking back at his first pictures..he was so small then. but now, he looks more like a pig than a pup! my mom's been spoiling my baby too much, giving him his favorite dog food and rice everyday. geesh, that's what happens when moms have been looking forward to having their grandkids for a long time now!

i miss my baby so much. i am actually guilty for not bringing him back to manila with me. in as much as i wanted to, i am quite sure he's in better hands when he's with my family back home.

Since the day I saw my mom's Coffret D'Or in Grey, i've been wanting to get myself one of these cute palettes from Kanebo. I've been reading a lot of raves on Kanebo makeup and the curious cat me in can't wait to at least own one.

Maybe an angel have heard my plea, and my wish came true:

my very own Kanebo Coffret D'Or palette in Rose

thanks again to a dear friend who gave this as a freebie during one of our swaps

(yep, she's that generous that she gave this for free!)

PAC browkit topped with MAC Beguile

TFSI topped with MAC PP in Soft Ochre

Coffret D'Or in Rose (used colors on the right side of the palette)

MAC liner in Rapidblack

UD 24/7 liner in Zero

Maybelline Cat Eyes mascara

Laura Mercier primer

Revlon Colorstay in Buff

MAC SS concealer in NW20

Skinfood Salmon Brightening Powder

MAC Accentuate and Sculpt

NYX creme blush in Boho Chic topped with MAC Pretty Baby

Shu Uemura Matte loose powder

Nyx l/g in Fig

MAC lipglass in Hot Frost

i love this palette. it may be too shimmery to use in daytime but you can tap your brush a few times to get rid of some of the glitters. for me, it's still wearable during the day...but that's me! you know how daring i can be when it comes to makeup. =)

now, i want to get more from Coffret D'Or!

yeah, i changed my top. i just remembered that i have to wear something with red for a lunch out with my office colleagues since we'll be having our post-valentine get together LOL!